كيفَhow العَزاءُconsolation وأَينَand where بابُهْits door
كيفَ العَزاءُ وأَينَ بابُهْ
والحيُّand the clan قدalready خَطَفَتْsped away ركابُهْits riding mounts
والحيُّ قد خَطَفَتْ ركابُهْ
How can there be solace, and where is its door,
What solace, where is its door?
when the clan's mounts have sped away
While the living, their mounts have galloped away.
بأَعزَّwith the dearest منتَقِبٍveiled one يَنِمْbetrays (continued)
بأَعزَّ منتَقِبٍ يَنِمْ
مُcompletes 'betrays' علىabout مَحَاسِنهِhis beauties نِقَابُهْhis veil
مُ على مَحَاسِنهِ نِقَابُهْ
with the dearest veiled one,
In the most precious of veils he sleeps,
whose veil betrays his beauty?
Upon his beauty, his veil.
كالبدَرِlike the full moon فيin فزعٍfright يَشِفْgrows thin (continued)
كالبدَرِ في فزعٍ يَشِفْ
فُcompletes 'grows thin' كماjust as يِشِفُّgrow sheer بهupon him ثِيابُهْhis garments
فُ كما يِشِفُّ به ثِيابُهْ
Like the full moon, grown thin with fright,
Like the full moon in fright it parts,
as his garments grow sheer upon him.
As with it parts his garb.
مُتَأَودٍgracefully swaying حُلْوsweet الشَّمَاthe manners (continued)
مُتَأَودٍ حُلْو الشَّمَا
ئِلِcompletes 'the manners' منfrom أَسَاوِرهِhis bracelets حِقَابُهْhis girdle
ئِلِ من أَسَاوِرهِ حِقَابُهْ
Gracefully swaying, sweet in his ways,
Of sweet temperament, bangles that chime
his girdle fashioned from his bracelets.
From his bracelets, rings that climb.
زَعَمَclaimed المُخَبِّرُthe informant أَنَّهُthat he
زَعَمَ المُخَبِّرُ أَنَّهُ
ضُرِبَتْwere pitched علىupon سَلَعٍSalʿ قِبَابُهْhis tents
ضُرِبَتْ على سَلَعٍ قِبَابُهْ
The informant claimed that
The informant claimed that
his tents had been pitched upon Salʿ.
Upon wares, his tents did burn.
فطلبتُمso you (plural) sought كالأَيمlike the serpent أَوor
فطلبتُم كالأَيم أَو
كالسَّيْلِlike the torrent فيin الليلِthe night انسِيَابُهْhis gliding
كالسَّيْلِ في الليلِ انسِيَابُهْ
So you sought him—like a serpent, or
So you searched, like the blink of an eye,
a torrent in the night, was his gliding.
Or a flood in the night pouring by.
فاذاthen behold أَحَمُّdeeply dark المقْلَتيthe two eyes (continued)
فاذا أَحَمُّ المقْلَتي
نِcompletes 'the two eyes' يشينُmars أَنملَهhis fingertips خِضَابُهْhis henna dye
نِ يشينُ أَنملَه خِضَابُهْ
Then behold, a dark-eyed one,
When the darkest of nights prevails,
his henna marring his fingertips.
His fingers' henna stains.
يَهتزُّhe sways مثلَlike السَّمهَريْthe Samhari spear (continued)
يَهتزُّ مثلَ السَّمهَريْ
يِcompletes 'the Samhari spear' تَدَافعتْjostled together فيهin it كِعَابُهْits shaft-knots
يِ تَدَافعتْ فيه كِعَابُهْ
He sways like a Samhari spear,
He trembles like a grouse
its shaft-knots jostling together.
In which its chicks huddle close.
وقفَstood الولائدُthe slave girls دونَهُbefore him
وقفَ الولائدُ دونَهُ
كالقلبlike the heart يَسْتُرهُscreens it حِجَابُهْits covering
كالقلب يَسْتُرهُ حِجَابُهْ
The slave girls stood before him,
The newborns stand guard round him
like the heart, shielded by its covering.
Like a heart shielded by its veil.
أَقبلتُI approached أَسأَلُهُI ask him وأَعْand I know (continued)
أَقبلتُ أَسأَلُهُ وأَعْ
لَمُcompletes 'I know' أَنَّthat حِرمانيmy being denied جَوَابُهْhis answer
لَمُ أَنَّ حِرماني جَوَابُهْ
I approached to ask him, knowing
I came to ask of him but knew
that denying me would be his answer.
That deprival would be his reply.
وَيليwoe to me علىfor مُتلوّنِchangeable in الthe
وَيلي على مُتلوّنِ ال
أَخلاقِcharacter يُعجِبُهُpleases him شَبابُهْhis youth
أَخلاقِ يُعجِبُهُ شَبابُهْ
Woe to me for one so changeable
Woe to me, one whose nature alters,
in character, so pleased with his own youth!
Pleasing to him only his youth.
لاneither رُسْلهُhis messengers تَتْرىcome successively اِليto (continued)
لا رُسْلهُ تَتْرى اِلي
ناus بالسَّلامِwith greetings ولاnor كتابُهْhis letter
نا بالسَّلامِ ولا كتابُهْ
Neither do his messengers come in succession
No messages of his reach me
to us with greetings, nor does his letter.
Neither greetings nor lines in his script.
وعَلِمتُand I knew أَنَّthat هَواهُhis love أَقْlesser (continued)
وعَلِمتُ أَنَّ هَواهُ أَقْ
صَرُcompletes 'lesser' مذsince تَجنبناavoided us عِتَابُهْhis reproach
صَرُ مذ تَجنبنا عِتَابُهْ
And I knew his love had waned
I learned his passion has waned
since his reproaches kept away from us.
Since we began to evade his rebukes.
وفتىand a young man ظَفَرتI won بِوِدِّهِhis affection
وفتى ظَفَرت بِوِدِّهِ
تَحْظَىenjoy good fortune بصحبتهِthrough his companionship صِحَابُهْhis companions
تَحْظَى بصحبتهِ صِحَابُهْ
And a young man whose affection I won—
Another lad has gained his love,
his companions are fortunate in his company.
Basking in the company of his comrades.
حَسَنُpleasant الفكاهةِhumor باسِمٌsmiling
حَسَنُ الفكاهةِ باسِمٌ
غِبَّafter السُّرىnight travel حُلوٌsweet لُعَابُهْhis saliva
غِبَّ السُّرى حُلوٌ لُعَابُهْ
Pleasant in jest, smiling,
Fair of humor, a smile that enchants,
sweet is his saliva after a night's journey.
Sweet of lips, of noble glance.
ماضيfirm العَزيمةِresolve ماnot تُرىare seen
ماضي العَزيمةِ ما تُرى
اِلاexcept علىupon شَرَفٍa height رِكابُهْhis riding mounts
اِلا على شَرَفٍ رِكابُهْ
Resolute in purpose; his mounts are never seen
Resolute he gallops, his vision unblurred,
except upon a height.
Spearheading lofty goals never deterred.
ويلوحُand he gleams بالفقَرamid poverty (text uncertain) البياnighttime (continued; text uncertain)
ويلوحُ بالفقَر البيا
تِcompletes 'nighttime' كماjust as يلوحُgleams بهwithin it سَرابُهْits mirage
تِ كما يلوحُ به سَرابُهْ
And he gleams amid poverty at night [wording unclear],
In the folly of youth he waves
as its mirage gleams within it.
Like a mirage wavering its haze.
للهِto God دَرُّexcellence أبيAbu (father of) سَعيدSaʿid
للهِ دَرُّ أبي سَعيد
دٍending of 'Saʿid' يومَwhen يُعْجِزُناdefeats us ثَوابُهْrepaying him
دٍ يومَ يُعْجِزُنا ثَوابُهْ
How admirable is Abu Saʿid,
Allah bless the day Abu Sa'id
when repaying him lies beyond our power!
Whose rewards we cannot match in trade.
ألقَاؤُهُis it his welcome? الطَّلْقُopen and radiant البَشَاcheerfulness (continued)
ألقَاؤُهُ الطَّلْقُ البَشَا
شَةِcompletes 'cheerfulness' يسترقُكَenslaves you أَمor خِطَابُهْhis speech
شَةِ يسترقُكَ أَم خِطَابُهْ
Is it his bright, cheerful welcome
His speech free and vivacious,
that enslaves you, or his speech?
Does it steal you away or his address?
زانَadorned السَّماحَةَgenerosity بِشْرُهُhis cheerfulness
زانَ السَّماحَةَ بِشْرُهُ
وأَعانَand aided منطقَهhis speech صَوابُهْhis sound judgment
وأَعانَ منطقَه صَوابُهْ
His cheerfulness adorned his generosity,
He balanced amiability with reason,
and his sound judgment aided his speech.
Aiding his logic a conscience in season.
وَدَفَعْتُand I thrust forth منهfrom him فيinto سَوَاdarkness (continued)
وَدَفَعْتُ منه في سَوَا
دِcompletes 'darkness' الخَطْبِcalamity ثَقَّاباًintensely piercing شِهابُهْhis meteor
دِ الخَطْبِ ثَقَّاباً شِهابُهْ
And from him I sent into the darkness
From him in love’s passion I turned away
of calamity one whose meteor pierces it.
As from embers the sparks at play.
كطلاوَةِlike the gleam السَّيفِof the sword المُهَنْIndian-forged (continued)
كطلاوَةِ السَّيفِ المُهَنْ
نَدِcompletes 'Indian-forged' تَطْبِيَيْكَentices you (irregular spelling) كماjust as تَهابُهْyou fear it
نَدِ تَطْبِيَيْكَ كما تَهابُهْ
Like the gleam of an Indian-forged sword,
Like the sharpness of a well-honed sword
it entices you even as you fear the blade.
Threatening while holding no discord.
مُسْتَغنياًindependent عنof صَاحِبِa companion
مُسْتَغنياً عن صَاحِبِ
ماas long as دامَcontinues يصحبُهaccompanies him ذُبَابُهْhis sword-point
ما دامَ يصحبُه ذُبَابُهْ
Needing no companion,
Self-sufficient, no need for one
so long as his sword-point keeps him company.
Who only brings swarms to the fore.
ماnot يُسْتَدلُّcan be inferred علىconcerning مآaims (continued)
ما يُسْتَدلُّ على مآ
رِبِهِcompletes 'his aims' ولاnor يُدرىis known طِلابُهْhis pursuit
رِبِهِ ولا يُدرى طِلابُهْ
No one can discern his
His ways cannot be traced,
aims, nor know what he seeks.
Nor can his seekers determined.
غَلَبَsurpassed الرجالthe men علىon طَريthe path (continued)
غَلَبَ الرجال على طَري
قِcompletes 'the path' الحَزْمِprudence لماwhen سُدَّwas closed بابُهْits door
قِ الحَزْمِ لما سُدَّ بابُهْ
He surpassed men on the path
Men have conquered the path of reason
of prudence when its door was barred.
Now that its gate has been shut tight.
وَرأَىand he saw الذيwhat لمdid not يُبْصروthey see (continued)
وَرأَى الذي لم يُبْصرو
هُit وحالَand intervened دونهمin their way ضَبَابُهْits fog
هُ وحالَ دونهم ضَبَابُهْ
And he saw what they had not seen,
He saw what they could not perceive,
its fog standing between them and it.
Veiled from them by fog’s blight.
يتناذرونَthey warn one another زئيرَthe roar ليa lion (continued)
يتناذرونَ زئيرَ لي
ثٍcompletes 'a lion' منof سِوىother than القَصْباءِreeds غابُهْhis thicket
ثٍ من سِوى القَصْباءِ غابُهْ
They warn one another of a lion's roar,
Roaring like lionesses in heat
whose thicket is not of reeds.
Except for palms, all was quiet.
بمقصَّفاتِwith splintered shafts النَّبلِof arrows والand the
بمقصَّفاتِ النَّبلِ وال
خَطيِّKhatti spears يسْتَدْفيseeks warmth اِهَابُهْhis hide
خَطيِّ يسْتَدْفي اِهَابُهْ
With splintered arrows and
With feathered arrows and fine script
Khatti spears his hide seeks warmth.
His fear they try to incite.
فالآنَso now ليسَdoes not يروعنيfrightens me
فالآنَ ليسَ يروعني
صَرفُvicissitudes الزَّمانِof time ولاnor انِقلابُهْits reversals
صَرفُ الزَّمانِ ولا انِقلابُهْ
So now I am not frightened
No longer do turns of fate
by time's vicissitudes or its reversals.
And time’s upheavals blight.
Sol 6.1